Brian Ashcraft

ThatGameCompany And The Beauty Of Taking Risks

“Everything is intense the first time you experience it,” says Jenova Chen, the 27-year-old creative director at Santa Monica-based studio ThatGameCompany. The first few World War II shooters Chen played floored him. We were all floored until the last Great War became such a vanilla setting for shooters. Old hat, and don’t we want something…

The American Toilet Is Very American

To: Crecente From: Bashcraft Had to the U.S. Consulate today to renew Mini-Bash’s passport and make one for Micro-Bash. Something I noticed: At the U.S. Consulate, there are not fancy Japanese toilets. Like, there are regular American toilets — no seat warmer, no bidet, no butt washer, nothing. What’s more, they have toy cars for…

Peter Molyneux Wants To Help Rare “Get Well Known”

What is developer Rare best known for? Doing games for Nintendo in the 1990s? Making Banjo Kazooie? Battletoads? Viva Piñata? Peter Molyneux, creative director of Microsoft Europe, wants to help Rare have more of an identity. Here, let’s let him say it in his own words: “Actually one of the things I really want to…

Here Are Some New Lost Planet 2 Screens

Capcom’s Lost Planet 2 trades the snowy landscape of the first game for the firey landscape of the second. This makes us wonder what’s in store for the third game. Rain, we hope rain. 海に囲まれた要塞…？『ロストプラネット2』新たなステージ公開 [Gpara]

Erotic Game Makers Give Games “Cleaner” Titles

With “rape games” officially banned in Japan and politicians cracking down, the country’s erotic game makers are feeling the heat. What to do? In order to avoid another outcry or to prevent falling target of international protests, adult game developers are giving new and upcoming titles less sensation names. So, Slippery Pregnancy Princess (our translation)…

Nintendo And McDonalds Japan Serve Up DS Service

Following on the test program Nintendo launched in Tokyo last spring, the Kyoto-based game company and the fast food giant announce “Mac de DS”. Way back in 2005, Nintendo of America teamed up with McDonalds to offer free WiFi in the United States. This new nationwide service is a first for Japanese McDonalds. Starting June…

Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver Japanese Pre-Orders Include…

Anyone pre-ordering Pokémon: Heart Gold or Soul Silver? Good news — pre-orders start July 4th, and there are pre-order goodies. In Japan, those pre-ordering Heart Gold will get a Ho-Oh figure, and those pre-odering Soul Silver will get a Lugia. Pre-order both, and you’ll get a Arceus figure. Heart Gold and Soul Silver are DS…

Playing Super Mario Bros. On A Theremin

The theremin isn’t only good for playing "Good Vibrations", it’s also good for playing Super Mario Bros. — not just the music, but the game itself. YouTuber conquerearth explains how it works: The sound from the theremin is split into its frequency and amplitude components in real time, which are then mapped to values in…

Metal Gear Online Bikinis Are Online

To celebrate the first anniversary of Metal Gear Online, Konami has provided very special DLC: Bikinis. Just in time for summer! Players will need to have at least the GENE Expansion to download the bikini outfits. You can check out the bikinis in action right here. 念願のビキニ装備が配信開始、『メタルギアオンライン』が活気に溢れる [はちま起稿]

How Does Post-Hype Change The Way You View Games?

Another week has passed and here we are, you and me and that other guy, talking. Lovely. This is Tell Us Dammit, no, make that TELL US DAMMIT. Here’s how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn’t some marketing survey or whatever. It’s an emotional investment…

Metal Gear Creator Didn’t Plan To Be Involved In New Metal Gear Games

Remember when Hideo Kojima said Metal Gear Solid 4 was the last MGS he was designing and he was handing off the series so he could presumably work on new and different titles? Well, scratch all that, because Metal Gear Solid 4 was a big hit for Konami and Kojima works for Konami. So no…

A Week In Comments

Dante’s Inferno Dev Diary Makes My Head Hurt Comment by: Antiterra Nominated by: Hiroken I’m not only Italian, but Tuscan. Most of my family still lives in Tuscany (in Piero Della Francesca’s hometown), a short drive from Florence, where Dante was born. It’s probably hard to imagine just how proud of their culture Tuscans can…

Metal Gear Rising Getting Brand New Engine

Upcoming multi-platform title Metal Gear Solid: Rising isn’t MGS4 with a fresh coat of paint. Oh, no. According to the Kojima Productions podcast, Konami is developing a brand new engine for Rising to, as KP podcast host Sean Eyestone points out, “realize this multi-platform goal”. “We’re redoing the engine from scratch, and it’s going to…

Today I Fell Asleep On The Floor

To: Crecente From: Bashcraft Literally. Folding clothes. Woke up an hour later in pile of said clothes. I really need to sleep more at night. Baby’s been kinda cranky this week. I think I need at least five or six hours of sleep without interruption on a fluffy bed of marshmallows. Otherwise, I’m a mess…

“Small Team” Working On Mirror’s Edge 2

Liked Parkour-inspired first-person action title Mirror’s Edge? It’s getting a sequel. Patrick Soderlund, senior vice president at EA Games Europe, admitted to game site VideoGamer.com that Mirror’s Edge was not perfect by any means and EA would have liked the game to sell better, but the company was moving forward with a sequel of the…

Let’s Put The Plus In This Witch Touching Game

Doki Doki Majo is SNK’s witch touching franchise. The ideal is that players must touch the in-game little girls via the DS’s touch screen to see if they are witches! This summer, SNK is releasing Doki Majo Plus. Wondering what makes this game “plus”? Skip ahead to about three-fourths of the way in at around…

Perhaps, Lost Planet 2 Is A Timed Exclusive

Yes, we know that Capcom’s action shooter Lost Planet 2 is a multi-platform game. But the title’s Japanese site seems to indicate that the Xbox 360 might be getting it first. The release date for the Xbox 360 version is “This Winter”. The release for the PS3 version is, well, not listed. It’s TBA. That…

This Is An Encyclopedia of Otaku

Look what just arrived on my desk, today. This! Yes, this. Written by the always insightful Patrick Galbraith, The Otaku Encyclopedia is just that, an otaku encyclopedia. From A-Z, the book covers everything Japanese nerd — an impressive feat. It also features interviews with maids, famous cosplayers, arts like Takashi Murakami, retro game idol Haruna…

Ultimate Hits From Square Enix Ship 2 Million

Square Enix’s “Ultimate Hits” series has shipped over 2 million copies in Japan. Going on sale in Septmber 2005, the series features 47 classic (and not so classic) Square Enix titles, all at lower prices. On July 30, the next group of “Ultimate Hits” will be going on sale. Those titles include Final Fantasy, Final…

Katamari Tribute Trailer Brings Monkey Sock Puppet

PS3 title Katamari Tribute is out next month in Japan. This game trailer is here to remind us of one thing: Sock puppets are great.